{"id":7717,"date":"2026-06-05T22:20:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T22:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/chained-together-acquisition\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T22:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T22:20:09","slug":"chained-together-acquisition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/chained-together-acquisition\/","title":{"rendered":"Secret Mode Acquires Chained Together After 10 Million Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"

UK based video game publisher Secret Mode<\/a> announced on June 2 that it has acquired the rights to Chained Together<\/a><\/strong> from developer Anegar Games. The hardcore cooperative platformer, which tasks players with climbing out of hell while physically tethered to their partners, launched in June 2024 and has sold more than 10 million copies to date.<\/p>\n

The acquisition took the industry by surprise given the game’s independent origins and massive commercial success without a major publisher’s backing. Secret Mode, which typically focuses on titles from smaller developers, signaled that this move fits a broader strategy of expanding its catalog with proven hits.<\/p>\n

Background of the Acquisition<\/h2>\n

Chained Together was developed by Anegar Games, a relatively small studio that released the title directly on Steam in June 2024. The game’s core mechanic requires two players to navigate vertical environments while linked by a chain, creating a unique and demanding cooperative experience. Its challenging gameplay and viral popularity on streaming platforms drove rapid adoption, pushing sales past the 10 million mark within its first year.<\/p>\n

Secret Mode is a publishing label under the umbrella of MediaTonic, the company known for the popular quiz game Jackbox Party Pack<\/strong> series. The publisher has historically worked with indie developers to bring niche titles to wider audiences, but the acquisition of a proven commercial property like Chained Together represents a departure from that model.<\/p>\n

Reactions and Industry Implications<\/h4>\n

A representative for Secret Mode stated that the company is “always on the hunt for new content,” suggesting that this acquisition is part of a larger effort to secure high demand titles. The publisher did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, nor did it provide specific details about how it plans to handle ongoing support or potential sequels for Chained Together.<\/p>\n

The move highlights a growing trend among mid sized publishers to acquire independently developed hits that have already demonstrated strong market traction. This approach reduces financial risk compared to funding unproven projects, while allowing publishers to benefit from existing fan communities and proven gameplay mechanics.<\/p>\n

For Anegar Games, the sale allows the developer to step back from the operational demands of maintaining a massive player base while potentially freeing resources for new projects. The studio has not publicly announced its next title or indicated whether it will remain active in game development.<\/p>\n

What Comes Next for Chained Together<\/h2>\n

Secret Mode has not released a timeline for any changes to Chained Together’s availability, pricing, or content updates. Current players on Steam can expect continued server support and bug fixes, though the publisher has not specified whether cross platform play or console versions are under consideration. Given the game’s strong performance, analysts expect Secret Mode to explore ways to extend the title’s lifecycle, including potential downloadable content or a sequel.<\/p>\n

The acquisition serves as a case study for how independent game studios and publishers can partner after a title has proven successful, rather than relying on traditional pre release funding models. As the gaming industry continues to consolidate, similar deals may become more common for breakout indie titles.<\/p>\n

Source: GamesIndustry.biz<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UK based video game publisher Secret Mode announced on June 2 that it has acquired the rights to Chained Together from developer Anegar Games. The hardcore cooperative platformer, which tasks players with climbing out of hell while physically tethered to their partners, launched in June 2024 and has sold more than 10 million copies to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[388],"tags":[9070,9069,9071,1097,2189,5235],"class_list":["post-7717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-games","tag-anegar-games","tag-chained-together","tag-indie-game-publishing","tag-publishing","tag-secret-mode","tag-video-game-acquisition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/delimiter.online\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}